Conference_programme: 20: Soundscapes
Lecture: Homogenous soundscapes promote the ecological connectivity of urban green areas
Author(s): Tsaligopoulos Aggelos, Karapostoli Aimilia , Economou Chris, Bairaktaridou Kyriaki , Tsinikas Nikolaos, Matsinos Yiannis
Summary:
The degree of functional and structural connectivity of landscapes is an issue that could be associated with numerous ecological processes at various scales, in both, rural and urban environments. Ecological connectivity is highly associated with conservation and could be described as the degree to which the landscape and hence the soundscape, facilitates or impedes the movement of species among resource patches at structural and functional level. Urban green areas and quiet areas offer a series of ecosystem services with a range of environmental, social and cultural opportunities for city dwellers. The specific areas could be perceived not as independent units, but as disconnected components of a landscape that require reconnection, within the urban environment. Apart from the structural characteristics of an urban landscape, environmental noise could pose as a non-physical barrier that impedes ecological connectivity at a functional level. The two urban green quiet areas of Mytilene (Lesvos-Greece) were identified and action plans for their connection at structural and functional level were shaped. Using strict protocols, noise measurements and sound recordings were conducted. Noise maps were created in order to assess the impacts of noise using the CadnaA software. Additionally, the analytical noise maps aided towards the identification of the structural barriers affecting the ecological connectivity of the two quiet areas. By means of passive acoustic recordings, acoustic biodiversity indices, provided by the multidisciplinary field of ecoacoustics, were extracted in order to calculate biodiversity levels. In order to assess the capacity for functional connectivity, the territoriality of the available avifauna was studied. The results highlighted the effects of noise regarding the soundscape consistency amongst the two quiet areas. Moreover, the proposed action plans endorsed soundscape connectivity and paved the way for future architectural interventions that are truly sustainable.
Corresponding author
Name: Mr Aggelos Tsaligopoulos
e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Country: Greece
